START CARING FOR CARERS - ÖPIK

3.40.00pm UTC (GMT +0000) Mon 9th Jun 2008

Lembit Öpik, Liberal Democrat MP for Montgomeryshire, is backing Carers' Week, that begins today, to show support for the thousands of local residents who care for dependent relatives and friends.

"There are 6 million carers in the UK and Carers' Week goes some way towards recognising the hard work these people do to support relatives and friends with illnesses or conditions which make them dependent on others.

"One in six people cares in some way for another person, helping them to live as normal a life as possible at home, rather than being dependent on health services and other groups for support.

"Many carers work 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and too often, the contribution they make is not recognised by society generally. In many cases, carers face great pressures, physical and emotional, both in giving up a salary of their own and the long hours they work.

"Carers save the UK economy £87bn each and every year. Carers Week is a chance to offer our support in return".

Ends/diwedd

Notes to editor:

Carers Week is a partnership of 10 UK-wide charities (Carers UK, Counsel and Care; Crossroads Caring for Carers, Help the Hospices, Independent Age, Macmillan Cancer Support, MS Society, Neurological Alliance, The Princess Royal Trust for Carers and WRVS) to promote the unpaid work done by the six million people in the UK who support and care for others.